The western sentinel. [volume] (Winston-Salem, N.C.) 1887-1926, 1887-08-18
A CAROLINA MYSTERY.

A CAROLINA MYSTERY.
COLONISTS OF ROANOKE ISLAND
LOST IN 1887.
Their Descendants Believed to be the
Croatan Indians of 1SS7-The Facts
In a Very Romantic HistOry-COndi-
tion of the Croatans of the Present
Day.
F. 4 OILS, of Raleigh, in Auburn, Near York
Adrertiser.
PART II.
Very careful inquiries were made
to ascertain the past history OF this
tribe. The Croatans came to Robson
county (then Bladen) between 1715
and 1892 An investigation of land
grants in their possession was made.
The oldest grant that could be discov-
cred is dated in 1872, and by it King
George II granted large tract to
two chief men of the tribe, named
Henry Berry and James Lowry or
Lowrie, who came from Virginia" as
tradition has it, for the Croatans yet
speak of eastern North Carolina as
"Virginia" There is said to be
grant by George III to John White,
but it cannot be found. The name
of John White is very suggestive.
Over twenty names of Whites lost
colonists are today among them.
Many inquiries were made as to tri-
bal traditions. The tradition is COM
mon that the tribe formerly inhabit
ed the country around Pamlico Sound,
including portions of what are now
Carteret and Hyde counties and all Of
Tyrrell and Dare. Among the Low
ry family there is a tradition that
their "feythers" (fathers) lived ON the
shores of Lake Matamuskeet, in Hyde
county, before they came to Robson
county. The best informed men say
that Croatan was the name of a place,
and that the name was later given to
the tribe by the English. An intelli-
gent Croatan clergyman says that the
true tribal name is Hatteras Cor Hat
torask, as the Croatans call it. Now
here is another link. The Hattorask
Indians are the ones who were on
Roanoke Island when Whites colony
landed. No Indians lived habitually
on the island; they only went there
from the main land to fish or hunt, or
perhaps for greater GOODNESS in sum-
mer.
Another tradition, we'll preserved,
gives another link in the chain of evi
dence. 1t is that Lake Mattamus-
keet. before alluded to, was "bnrnt
lake" or "lake burnt out Of the
ground" And so it was, wonderful
as it may seem. The soil of Hyde is
all peat, and in dry season, it OCCASION
ally catches on fire. In such case
the very land itself is consumed and
pits or depressions are formed, which
presently fill with water. The best
evidence is that in vast fire. perhaps
centuries ago, Lake Mattamuske9t
was thus formed. 1t is thirty miles
long, and at no place over eight feet
deep, and not fish OF any kind
has ever been seen in its waters.
But yet strange facts were discover
ed. The language of the Croatans is
peculiar in tone. They use but two
sounds of the letter "a broad sound
of as in father and the sound of a as
in date. Dare is pronounced Darr.
The name of Virginia Dare is familiar
to their chroniclers. The Darr fami-
ly name has disappeared in Robson
county, but is found among branch
of the tribe in Lincoln county. One
of the Darrs served as a soldier in the
United States army in the war of
1872. Their language is peculiar in
that it is strictly Anglo-Saxop. 1t
contains many words in common use
which have been obsolete for a long
period in most of England. For in
stance, "housen" is the plural of
house "crone" is to push down; for
task" they say "aks" (Old English) !;
for 'father" they say 'feyther."
knowledge is spoken of as "wit"
Of family names, over twenty of
these hold names of those held by the
long lost colonists. James (pro-
nounced in the old English way,
Jeams). Lowery is very common
name among them. The name of
Locklear is also found. and Cuzzie
hOCk1cdF Is Onc VI IlG OiucSL living
members. The name Dial was form
erly Doyle. The name Coins was
once O'Gwinn. Priscilla and Rhoda
are the most common names of wo-
men, and Henry that of men. One
of the oldest men is Aaron Revels,
who is more than 100 years of age.
He is an uncle of Senator Revels, of
Mississippi.
The prevalence of the name Lowry
has been referred to. According to
tradition a man named Sames Lowry
came from "Chesapeke" and married
in the tribe, and became the progeni-
tor of a large and influential family.
That family, at the time the tribe
broke up, moved away from the Roa-
noke section, went to western North
Carolina, perhaps to Buncombe.
Lowry's descendants, they say were
"leaders among men" Governor
James Lowry Swain, who after serv-
ing as chief magistrate of North Caro-
lima was for over quarter of Gen.
tury president of the State University,
was a descendent, as was Lieutenant
Governor james Lowry Robinson, of
this State.
They have always, their traditions
COW hoan warm friands of tho whifo